Victor hirbec



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. V. HIRBEC.

` ELECTRICAL GENBRATGR.

110.4945156. Patented Dee. 1,1891.

e e 4if" o o z g o E INVENTR.'

(No Model.)

zsneets-sheet 2. V. HIRBBG'.

- ELECTRICAL GENERATOR.

110.464.156. Patented. Dec. 1,1891.

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'teaching of physics, the other 'for industrial 'ing in detail themanner of mounting the VICTOR IIIRBEO, O

ELECTRICAL PATENT OFFICE.

F PARIS, FRANCE.

GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,156, dated December1, 1891.

Application filed November 6, 1890. Serial No. 370,475. (No model.)Patented in Belgium August 18. 1890, No. 91,671; in Spain August 27,1890, No. 11,180; in France October 2, 1890, No. ber 10, 1890, No.2,918, and iii Norway October 18, 1890, No.

208.594; in Italy October 6, 1890, No. 28,308; in Sweden Octo- 2,000.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR IIIRBEO, engi neer, a citizen of the Republicof France, residing at No. 18 Rue de Malte, Paris, in said Republic,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus forShowing the Principle of the Utilization of Heat as a Source ofElectricity, (patented in Belgium August 18, 1890, No. 91,671; in SpainAugust 27, 1890, No.11,180; in France October 2,1890, No. 208,594.; inItaly October 6, 1890, No. 28,808; in Sweden OctoberlO, 1890, No. 2,918,and in Norway October 18, 1890, No. 2,000;) and I declare the followingto be a l. ull, clear, and exact description of the saine.

The different forms of apparatus embodying my invention are designed onefor the use.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for educational purposesembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Figs. 2and 2b are respectively a sectional view showing one of thecylinder-supports and a bottom view ot' one of the collectors. Fig. 8 isan elevation of the power-transmitting roll, showrolls and cylinders. etand e are respectively an elevation and plan of one of the lamp-holders.Fig. 5 is a top plan of the heating-boxes. Figs. 6, 6", and (5billustrate in plan, elevation, and section the relative arrangement ofthe heating-boxes and their supporting-frame. Fig. (vcis a .plan of oneof the protecting-plates. Fig. G is a side view of one of the transversebars. Fig. 7 is a detail of an adjustable belt-tightening device. Fig. 8shows in side and bottom plan the arrangement of the belt-guide. Fig. isa side elevation of a machine adapted foi-industrial use. Fig. 10 is anend elevation thereof. Figs. 11, 12, 18, and Mare details of some of theparts.

The arrangement of mechanism designed for educational purposes is shownin its entirety in Fig. 1. The apparatus shown in said ligure comprisesa ribbon of paper .r in the forni of a belt, which is mounted on two 5owooden cylinders F F, as shown. At its upper part, where it moves fromleft to right, this ribbon travels in contact with the upper surface ofthree tin boxes O, which communi# cate the heat to it. In the part abovethese three boxes and extending back to the rubber J, of which we willspeak later on, this ribbon is covered with a band a b, of iannel, underwhich it moves, and which has the object of retaining its heat.Aroller-rubberJ bears on 6o this paper ribbon near the rear end of thethird box, turning at its circumference with the velocity of about onemeter fifty centimeters for one turn of the driving-pulley B, whileduring the saine time the cylinders F, under the action of the pulleys AC D and the roll E, are actuated to advance the paper about threecentimeters. The revolution of the rubberJ is in the same direction asthe ribbon. (Shown by the arrows,Fig. 1.) The rubber is coinposedof a 7osmall wooden shaft of four and one-half centimeters in diameter, onwhich a piece of flannel is rolled in ten rounds. The end of this piece,which is in contact with the shaft, is nailed to it without anyprojection but the thickness of the iiannel. The rolling up is made inthe direction desired, so that the i'evolution of the rubber tends towind the flannel on the shaft--that is, from left to right. Therolled-up flannel is nailed to the rim of the 8o shaft at its twoextremities. Under the action of the rubber the heated paper ribbonbecomesnegative. The rubber is positive. The action of the rubber is apurely mechanical action, by which it takes the electricity at itssource, which is the heatin the paper ribbon, as is proved by theworking of my apparatus under the different circumstances of the eXperiments for which I have intentionally arranged my apparatus. Thecurrent of elec- 9o tricity is led oit from above the rubber and thepaper ribbons by means of small tin tubes U, (or rods of a conductinginetal,) which tei'- iinate in two metal boxes or conductors T,supported each on two glass tubes V on the upper bar A of the frame andthe one corresponding to it at the back of the apparatus.

The details of these conductors are indicated by the figure to the rightot Fig. 1. Their height (not shown in the drawings) is thirtycentimeters. The tubes U, secured to the bottoms of these conductors,must be of a length such that their lower ends are at a half-centimeterdistant from the rubber and the paper ribbon, respectively, so that thepassage of the electricity is made by discharge through the air and notby contact. These tubes or the metal rods which can be substitutedrepresent the comb of the ordinary electrostatic machines. The tubes ofthe con ductor receiving` electricity from the rubber are arranged in aline parallel to this rubber on the side toward the left and a littleabove the horizontal axis of said rubber, as shown vin Fig. l. The tubesof the conductor receiving electricity from the ribbon are also in lineabove said ribbon. The conductor above the rubber is charged withpositive electricity from the rubber, the other with negativeelectricity from the belt. The discharge is made either by sparks or bycurrent in the ordinary conditions. The precise place for the tubes withrelation to the rubber and to the ribbon is easily found with a littleball of cork suspended by a linen thread held in hand, and with whichthe electrical field is explored.

The three boxes O, Figs. 1, 5, and G are of tin and without cover. Theyare inverted, so that their bottoms are uppermost. This bottom ispierced with holes, as shown in Fig. 5; but in that side of the thirdbox which lies beneath the rubber, there are no holes in the half beforethe rubber. These holes permit a more rapid transmission of the heat tothe paper ribbon which passes above.

Figs. 6 and GfL show the three boxes O fixed on a wooden frame P,whiehby means ot' two transverse bars Ris supported by the bar A2 of theframe, Fig. l, and that which corresponds to it at the back. One ofthese bars R (shown at the right of Fig. 6 separated from the woodenframe) shows the cuts made at its ends, so that the lower surface of theframe comes down about twenty-two millimeters below the upper, part ofthe two bars of the frame, serving as a support. The wooden frame hasopenings (shown by letters Q, Fig'. 6,) underneath which the lamps areplaced to heat the interior of the boxes, as shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6shows the bottom of the frame in plan, which is turn ed over so as toshow said openings. Above these openings thin plates o' of sheet-ironare arranged on four feet, which are separated from the bottom of theboxes O bya space of half a centimeter only. This bottom is thusprotected against the direct iiame ot the lamp, whose heat is alsobetter divided on said bottom. The piece of sheet-iron punched to make aplate and its feet and the plate fixed over the opening of 65 a frameare shown by the detached figures at theleft of Fig. G. The heatingunderneath the boxes is done by means of twelve small ordinaryoil-lamps, (shown by letters I, Fig. l.) Six are in front onthisdrawing. The other six are in back. These lamps are mounted onsupports S, of which one is shown in Fig. t from above and from theside. These supports are lixed to the two bars of the frame in back ofFig. l, corresponding to the bars A2 and A3. To put in and take outthese supports easily, they are held on top and at the bottom by twocleats. (Shown by the upper drawing, Fig. at.

Fig. 2 shows the arrangements of the apparatus at the left end to showthe breadth ot` the paper ribbon (indicated by broken and dotted lines)and its arrangement relatively to the cylinder F and to the rubber J,whose rubbing-surfaces extend out at each side from the breadth ot thepaper. This figure also shows the relations ofthe rubber J to the pulleyB, ot the pulley C to the pulley A, mounted on the same shaft as pulleyl`3,whicl1 shaft is mounted in bearings on the frame and carries thedriving-crank of the apparatus, while all the other parts which arerevolved are mounted on the points of bearingpins or studs secured tothe frame.

Fig. 3 illustrates the relative sizes of pul leys D and the roller E,which latter, owing to its contact with cylinder F on the left of Fig.l, transmits a rotary motion to said cylinder and drives the belt rc.

Fig. 7 shows a pulley to tighten the cord or belt transmitting movementfrom pulley B to the rubber J, so that any slack in the cord may betaken up which would result from the lowering ot' the axis of the rubbershould it be desirable to have it exercise a stronger pressureon thepaper ribbon. This pulley is mounted on two bars L of the frame, Fig. l,which are transverse, like the bars M, and secured to bars A3 by meansof two screws whose shanks are iixed in the bars A3, but passup throughtwo slots l, made for this purpose in the pieces L, on which the pulleyis iixed. Two nuts n, of hard wood, screwed on the screws above the barsA3, are adapted to clamp thereto the bars L, after adjustment of thepulley, to exercise the necessary pressure on the said cord, asv shownby Fig. 7.

The two supports of the rubber are` seen from the side in Fig. l. Thesesupports are fixed on the two bars A and A2 of the frame and on thecorresponding ones in back by means of screws fixed in the bars of theframe, traversing slots in the support, and bearing at their ends nutsnot hard wood, which opcrate to clamp the ends of the support tightlybetween the bars of the frame and the nuts. The supports can thus bemoved at top and bottom to put them to the desired height.

The ribbon in the engagement just described is ot" verythin paper, so asto present a small body to be heated. The two ends of the riblOO bon ofthe desired length are united by means of a paste after the ribbon isrolled on the two cylinders F and passes through the flat openings ofthe guide, which will be described hereinafter. After placing the ribbonon each cylinder there is at some distance to the fronta guide-plate tohold and rectify the direction of the ribbon, if necessary. Thisguide-plate is shown in the drawings, Fig. 8. It is composed of a littleboard fixed horizontally at the height of the paper on the vertical barsof the frame of the apparatus shown at the two ends of the board orplate. On the upper surface of this boardaband of paper is fixed verysmooth and very supple, whose ends are united above the ribbon c to forma loop d, entirely attened, which covers this'ribbon and which is lessbroad by half a centimeter than the guide. Paper contracting by theheat, the ribbon must not be stretched taut, so that its contraction cantake place without tearing it.

The cylinders F F are mounted on movable supports, which permit of theirbeing approached ordistanced, as is necessary. The design of one ofthese supports His shown between Figs. l and 2. Its details arepractically the same as the supports fixed on the apparatus.

The disks ontop and on bottom are hardwood nuts n2, engaged on thescrewsfixed by their heads in the support, whose thickness at the place of thescrew is increased, so as to almost touch the outer surface of the barof the frame. In tightening the screws the bars of the frame are clampedbetween the support in the interior and the nut at the exterior. Thetension of the ribbon must remain imperfect because of its contractionand expansion, which has been spoken of before. Movement is given it byroller E, bearing on the cylinder F. This roller presses the ribbonagainst the surface of the cylinder F to the left, to which itcommunicates movement. This roller E is of wood; but the part which mustpress on the ribbon is wound tightly around with paper, forming athickness of three to four millimeters with several rounds. The paperused is common paper-for example, such as is ordinari] y used as plainground under the vmore costly wall-papers. To preserve its softness itmust be applied without paste, but secured by tine tacks to each end ofthe roller outside of the part which must bear on the ribbon and withoutleaving any harmful projections. The winding must be made in thedirection desired, so that the revolving movement tends to tighten andpreserves itgon the roll, as has been described of the flannel on therubber J. The pressure of this roller on the cylinder may be main tainedindependently of the cord which connects it with pulley D by twosprings, the free ends of which are connected to the sides of themovable frame, which bears the said roller, of which springs one isshown in N, Fig. l,

the other being similarly disposed on the opposite side of the frame.The roller is, as I have just said, mounted on a frame pivoted on thecenters C', Figs. l and 3, which permits of its being approached more orless to the cylinder F, on which it acts. To maintain a relativemovement between the two cylinders F F and the paper belt withoutsubjecting the latter to strains, the cylinders are provided at the faceend, Fig. l, with pulleys G with ilat groove and connected with eachother by a cord, whose lower part is indicated by y on said figure. TheHat form given to the groove allows the cord to slide in case anaccidental circumstance would stop the travel of the ribbon, which wouldthen not be exposed to being torn.

For industrial use my apparatus is shown by Figs. 9 to 14.-. Itcomprises a heatingchamber of sheet iron, whose parts are shown in Figs.9, l0, and l1, and are indicated by heavy lines. The casing` in Fig. 9in rear of the bars H2, H3, and H4 of the frame is sup-.

posed to have been removed to show the inner details. Said chamber has agrate or fuel-support R', with an ash-pit S'. The chamber is tted withreturn iiues or tubes P ,which traverse the heating-chamber proper inits lower part and lead the products of combustion into a single flatuptake or iiue X, which extends the entire breadth of the chamber andterminates above this chamber in a pipe (continued in the back of Fig.9) to conduct the said products of combustion to the outside. Betweenthe tubes P and the firebox there is a part Q of the heating-chamberwhich is subjected to the direct action of the fire in thecombustion-chamber, of which it forms the roof. In the saidheating-chamber, above the tubes P', are horizontally arranged twoseries of wooden rollers 2, Fig. 9, provided with brass plates at theirextremities and projecting to the outside on both sides of the chamber,where they are mounted on points carried by two bars in a way to permitof the oiling of the points on which they turn. (See Fig. ll.) Theheating-chamber is at its upper right-hand corner provided with atriangular extension formed in one with said heating-chamber to havefree columunication therewith. An opening, which can be closed tightly,comprising almost the entire top of the heating-chamber, permits ofaccess to arrange the pap er in turns on the rollers. The paper ribbon(indicated by a dotted and broken line) enters into the heating-chamberat the height of the lower part of the cylinder' F, Fig. 9, and iscarried alternatively over the upper and lower rollers Z, as shown byFig. E), terminating its windings at the top of the heating-chamber onthe last roller in the left corner and passing out at thc right sidebelow the upper surface of the heating-chamber and at the height of thetop of the triangular extension, which has been men- IOO tioned above.The openings at the top and at the bottom for the entrance and exit ofthe ribbon are limited to a just sufficient size to admit ot the freepassage of this ribbon and provided with a border of highly-polishedwood. The openings through which the ends of the rollers Z project arestrictly limited to the dimensions of these rollers, at the same timepermitting of their free rotation, in consequence of themovementcommunicated to them by the travel of the ribbon on them. Afterhaving been heated in the heatingchamber, where, owing to its sinuouscourse, it remains a sufficient time to be thoroughly heated, the ribboncomes out of the said chamber above the extension or annex and passesbetween the rubber .I and the top of said anneX, where it undergoes theaction of the rubber. The ribbon is carried over a glass tube I, mountedas a roller on two points, and then goes on the cylinder F, from whenceitis carried back into the heating-chamber by the opening at the bottom,and continues its circuit indefinitely. The conductors above the rubberand the paper ribbon only differ from those of the first apparatus inconsequence of the wider ribbon necessitating the corresponding increasein dimensions, and in the number of tubes or stems of metal which theybear at their lower part.

The roller exercising the pressure on the ribbon and the cylinder isshown at E, Figs. 9 and 10. Contrary to what takes place in the irstarrangement of my apparatus, this roller turns under the action ot' thecylinder F. The pressure is regulated by the adjustment of thepoint-supports, on which it is mounted. To permit of this adjustmenteach point passes freely through a vertical slot formed in the twoupright bars ot the frame in front and in back, between which is theroller. The two supports are held on the bars of the frame by means ofscrews and hard-wood nuts n3, like lthe supports K of the rubber and IIof the roller-tube I. l

Fig. lO shows the apparatus seen from the right end, the disposition ofthe tube I, the cylinder F, the roller E, and the movable bars, whichbear the points on which the rollers Z are mounted. The dotted lines Rand S in the same figure indicate the lines ofthe openings of the hearthand the ashpit, which are at the other end of the apparatus. The dottedand broken lines on the tube I and the cylinder F represent the width ofthe paper ribbon, which has the strength of good ordinary school-paper,and the place it occupies on said tube and cylinder. The guide-plate ofthe ribbon, arranged like the the one in the first disposition of myapparatus, 'is vertically arranged like the ribbon in this part. It isshown at H on Fig. 10, and is indicated by this saine letter on Fig. 9.

Fig. l1 represents the interior and exterior ends of the rollers Z ofthe heating-chamber,

with the movable bar bearing the points ot these rollers and thesupports of this bar seen from above. rlhis same Fig. ll shows, seenfrom above, the arrangement of the pulleys A and G to move the cylinder,and of the pulleys B, C, and D to move the rubber J. The shaft of thepulleys A and B is mounted in bearings in front and on points in back.The points of the two shafts in back are carried by two upright bars,corresponding to those shown facing in Fig. 9. These upright bars restat the top and the bottom on the transverse bars M of the same figure,and arc connected at the side of the frame to the right by two bars, theone on top, the other at the bottom, (of which one seen from above isshown in this Fig. 11,) which corresponds with the bars I-I3 II4 of Fig.9.

Fig. l2 shows the rubber J, with its pulley and its supports, whichallow of its being raised and lowered tol regulate the pressure ou theribbon.

Fig. 13 shows a small pulley mounted on the transverse bar Ii, (see sameletter, Fig. 5),) which it is possible to displace, and thereby to moreor less stretch the left part of the cord going from pulley D to the pulley of the rubber J.

Fig. lst shows the arrangement of the return-tubes P for the products ofcombustion ending at the flue X.

I claiml. The combination, substantially as described, of the cylinders,the paper belt thereon, a heating device to heat said belt, arubbing-roll arranged above the rear end of the heating device torevolve in contact with the belt, conductors each having a set ofconducting-points arranged one to receive electricity from the rubberand the other from the belt, and means for rotatingV the cylinders andthe rubber.

2. The combination of the cylinders with their paper belt, the heatingdevices and rubbing-roll for said belt, the insulated conductors eachprovided with a set of conductingpoints terminating one near the rubberand the other near the belt, and driving mechanism transmitting motionto the cylinders through a roll held in frictional contact with one ofsaid cylinders, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the cylinders, a paper ribbon or belt mountedthereon, a driving-belt connecting said cylinders, the heater, therubbing-roll and conductors arranged as described, the roll E, held infrictional con` tact with one of the cylinders and its paper belt byspring-pressure, and mechanism forrotating said friction-roll,substantially as hereinbefore set forth;

4. The combination of the cylinders, the paper ribbon or belt, theheater, the iiannelsurfaced rubbing-roll, the conductors with theirpoints, the frictional driving-roll, and

IOO

IIO

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per-surfaced frictional driving-roll, the conductors, and thepower-shaft having pulleys connected with the rubbing and frictionaldriving-rolls, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

VICTOR HIRBEC.

Witnesses:

EMILE LEVERQUE, J. L. RATHBONE.

6. The combination of the cylinders, the paper ribbon or belt, therubbing-roll, the pa-

